Chef Rob is one of those people who will tell you like it is, and always give you his honest opinion. He has a heart of gold and a burning passion for all things culinary.
His work ethic and extensive food knowledge has put him on a master level of Italian Cuisine. Everything from past kitchen experience to trying different techniques have molded him into one of the premiere cooks in the Atlantic City, New Jersey Area.
Chef Rob’s work ethic came about the first day he started working at the age of 15, pressing clothes at a dry cleaning business. By the age of 16 he was bringing in more money than his father. His first restaurant experience was managing the front house of the Phoenix Diner. A cook position opened up and he took the job without pay at first. After a month of proving his self he went from getting paid $6 to leaving there making $15.
After gaining experience he moved on and got his first Sous Chef position at Old River Tavern. Only after a few months the head chef moved on and Chef Rob was promoted his first executive chef position.
With the taste of being the executive chef he wanted bigger and better things. From 1998 to 2004 Chef Rob went onto working for Ventura’s Off Shore Café, Chet and Ray’s Surf and Turf Club, Cousin’s, and Blue Heron Pines Golf Course.
During the Blue Heron days he established him self and became the American Culinary Federation/Professional Chef’s Association of South Jersey member of the year in 2007. During this time Blue Heron was changing hands of ownership and it was time to make a last move.
In April 2012 the new owners of 7805 Ventnor Ave came to Chef Rob with an offer to come on board and help develop Bocca Coal Fired Bistro. After many months of planning and developing Bocca Coal Fired Bistro finally opened to the public in early fall 2012. “We’re not just opening a restaurant we are creating a brand,” says Chef Rob.